Survey: A strong majority of Canadians wants more environmental action from the next government

Montreal, December 11, 2024 - In a Léger poll commissioned by Équiterre, 71% of Canadians say they want their next federal government, regardless of its political stripe, to do more to address climate change, to adapt to its consequences and to protect nature.

Équiterre surveyed Canadians on their support for a range of policies that are beneficial for the environment, the economy, for people's wallets and for their health. Such measures, which range from the development of public transit systems to vehicle electrification, support for farmers and the regulation of plastics, all garnered at least 51% support, with the most popular receiving an 81% endorsement.

“Despite the change of administration in the United States, and regardless of who forms the next government here in Canada, the poll results are unequivocal: people want their government to do more for the environment. There are many challenges, but it's clear to a strong majority of Canadians that we can't just sit back and do nothing, or sabotage the progress we've made so far,” stated Marc-André Viau, Équiterre's Director of Government Relations.

The results of this survey support the Vire au vert coalition’s Quebec Environmental Consensus, which calls on federal political parties to seize the opportunity presented by the next federal election campaign to build on the environmental achievements that Quebec has made so far. The consensus has been presented to all political parties represented in the House of Commons, and will be a credibility test for the parties' election platforms.

Majority support for all environmental policies

The survey results are unequivocal: Canadians are calling for greater political ambition on environmental issues. The support for the various measures demonstrates this:

• Strong support for the energy transition:

  • 77% of respondents want the government to prioritize the development of renewable energy;

  • 70% are in favour of creating jobs that support a green economic transition;

• 81% of respondents see investing in public transit systems as the preferred solution to the ever-worsening problem of congestion;

• 75% of respondents feel that it is imperative to ensure that public transit development keep pace with residential development, so as to avoid worsening road congestion;

• 74% of those surveyed want to see regulations that limit the proliferation of plastic in the environment;

• 76% of those surveyed strongly support the principle of government assistance to help farmers reinforce their operations to make them more resilient;

• 72% of respondents support funding for school food programs;

• Despite repeated attacks on carbon pricing and the capping of GHG emissions from the oil and gas sector, these policies receive majority support of 57% and 56%, respectively.

Adaptation and responsibility at different levels of government

Équiterre also surveyed Canadians on their exposure to, and the impacts they have experienced from extreme weather events. More than three quarters say that they have had some media exposure to the phenomena (76%), and a majority of respondents (64%) feel that they will be affected economically by climate change through increased home insurance premiums.

Équiterre places a great deal of emphasis on the key role that the federal government must play to address climate change, adaptation and the protection of nature. More than three out of four people feel that the federal government is the level of government best positioned to make decisions on the fight against climate change (76%), compared to the provincial and municipal levels of government. When it comes to adaptation, the majority also feel that the federal government is best positioned to make decisions (64%), and for protecting nature, there is 52% support.

As the next federal election approaches, this survey will help the political parties build an ambitious environmental plan that addresses the expectations of Canadians.

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For more information :

Dale Robertson, media@equiterre.org, 514-605-2000